Kim Jong-un awarded an international accolade for 'peace, justice and humanity'

Kim Jong-un has been awarded an accolade for statesmanshipKCNA via Reuters

Kim Jong-un is following in the footsteps of Gandhi and has been internationally recognised for his statesmanship. The Sukarno Education Foundation in Indonesia awarded the accolade to the North Korean leader for his "peace, justice and humanity", according to Agence France Presse.

The foundation, which is named after Indonesia's first president Sukarno, also honoured Kim II Sung, posthumously in 2001.

Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, the late president's daughter, said: "We will give the award to President Kim Jong-un because he has been consistent in carrying out the ideals of the great leader, Kim Il Sung, which is to fight imperialism. So this will be a sequel, where we give the award to Kim Jong-un for his persistence in fighting neo-colonialism."

His iconic status contrasts to the common perception of his dictatorship across the globe as violent and repressive to its citizens. A United Nations investigation highlighted its human rights abuses, which were "without any parallel in the contemporary world", except Nazi Germany. But Soekarnoputri told AFP such claims were just "Western propaganda".

However, North Korea hit the headlines recently following reports it was exploiting thousands of labourers to fund its nuclear programme and building projects. Jong-un also reportedly ordered the execution of a man who failed to look after his turtle farm appropriately. The man said he had electricity problems which was dismissed by the head of state as "nonsensical complaints". An anonymous source told Daily NK: "The manager was shot and killed after the marshal (Kim) made his field guidance tour to the terrapin farm near Taedong River in Pyongyang."